A headline stopped me in my tracks this week and made me feel very old.

A headline stopped me in my tracks this week and made me feel very old.

A headline stopped me in my tracks this week and made me feel very old.

It screamed: “Britney Spears is on a mission to brink back a nightmarish 90’s trend – the belly ring.” But wait, there is more. The article went on to say “The 36 year old seems determined to single-handedly resurrect dangly, glittery, dysfunctional belly button rings.

Remember that hideous accessory all the girls at your high school and work just had to have? Well, Britney STILL has it.” My mind was spinning for several reasons. The first was the fact that many of us embraced the belly ring and even though it was fun and a bit sexy. I do not think it was a “nightmarish” or “hideous” trend of the 90’s. Surely that honour goes to the bum bag? And the second thought I had was the realisation while I was raising kids and getting on with life somewhere in the last 20 years the trend of belly button rings has gone away.

How did that happen without me noticing the sisterhood has been dissing the ring of the belly? A silent movement has clearly swept Australia as one by one we have all slipped out our belly rings and grown up. And out. I had a belly ring and I am now glad I did it in my 20’s with flat abs because drawing attention to my white bits now after birthing 3 children would be really, really stupid.

Let me tell you my story of the belly ring. I had my naval pierced while backpacking around Canada and thought I was the coolest kid on the block. The bloke who pushed that needle through my belly was a lot older than me and super sleazy. He literally put down his beer to pierce my skin and his parting words to me were to use my own urine to ensure infections stayed away. I had so many questions but I had the good sense not to ask him any of them.

I got out of that dive as fast as I could and I never did take his advice but the ring stayed with me without a hint of a problem until 8 years ago when I fell pregnant and decided I was all grown up and it was time to literally cut out my little sign of rebelling in the 90’s. That was that.

I had officially grown up and was suitably ready to be a parent. While the belly ring is seemingly in a fashion coma many of the 90s trends are back in fashion this year. Crop tops are leading the charge as the must-have item of the moment. And also back in favour are leather blazers, waistcoats and anything Goth. You know you are getting older when you wore a trend the first time around. The 90’s was just so damn rich for ugly fashion.

If you did not have a tie-die t-shirt like the original Destiny’s Child band then you were not really growing up in the 90s. And what about overalls worn with one strap hanging down? Everyone from TLC to Joey Potter in Dawson’s Creek and Rachel in Friends had a pair of over sized denim dungarees.

So I say go for it, Britney. Do not listen to the haters and go on showing your flashy belly ring. If you could just hook up with Justin Timberlake again I would be a really happy girl.